Cunniff-Dixon Letter: Andy Baxter

Description:

With complete foreknowledge of the consequences of my doing so, I hereby fully relieve and release, and without hesitation or qualiﬁcation ﬁrmly direct and require my Executor(s) to relieve and release each of my personal physicians and each other Health Care Professional, para-professional, administrator, etc. (without limitation) from any and all responsibility and/or liability, blame or accountability for following my wishes as interpreted and

expressed by my Health Care Proxy or Agent, even if doing so appears to hasten the moment of my death and/or represent a failure to follow the Hippocratic Oath. I implore you, medical professionals, to hear, heed and honor my wishes.

I am writing this to augment the instructions on the attached formal Health Care Proxy. I am fortunate currently to be in excellent health, and I have been fortunate to be healthy for my entire life to date. I have been witness to the terminal illness of my wife Carley, and several dear friends — Don Byers and Balint Vazsonyi — and I have a very clear picture of what I do not want to happen at the end of my life.

In the event that I am suffering from any life threatening disease, and should lose consciousness with little hope for regaining consciousness, I expect you to do as little as possible to extend my life. In no case do I want you to extend my life simply for the sake of extending it. This is particularly true to the extent that disease, age or trauma have caused me to be unable to live a reasonably active, independent and joyful life in the event of my recovery. Extension of my life in order to live a dramatically diminished existence, largely dependent on my loved ones, is not something I want.

I know that assuming and carrying out responsibilities as my Health Care proxy are burdensome and stressful, but you and I have talked many times about my feelings regarding the end of my life, and I believe that you have a clear sense of what I would want you to do and not do on my behalf. I have complete trust and appreciation for your role in this part of my life, and I thank you.